About Empower CBR

Empower CBR is a specialist advisory group focused on supporting and building the capacity of renewable energy project developers and contractors to deliver meaningful and lasting outcomes for host communities.

We work at the intersection of:

  • Community development

  • Workforce participation

  • First Nations partnerships

  • Social procurement

  • Community benefit design

  • Capacity building

Our role is to help proponents to develop innovative ideas and partnerships and move beyond commitments on paper and into practical, deliverable outcomes.

We do this in ways that are credible, measurable and aligned with project realities.

Acknowledgement of Country

Empower CBR acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we operate. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and recognise their continuing connection to Country, culture and community.

We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and that First Nations peoples have cared for these lands for tens of thousands of years. We recognise the importance of this ongoing stewardship, particularly in the context of Australia’s energy transition.

Through Empower CBR, we are committed to respectful engagement, listening and learning, and supporting outcomes that contribute to self-determination and deliver lasting benefits for First Nations communities.

  • We support clients to:

    • Translate commitments into delivery frameworks

    • Develop workforce and employment strategies

    • Build partnerships with First Nations organisations and communities

    • Embed social procurement into project delivery

    • Design community benefit strategies and funds

    • Establish systems to monitor, report and improve outcomes

  • Practical

    • We focus on what can be implemented within real project constraints - procurement, contracting and construction timelines.

    Place-based

    • We tailor approaches to the specific region, community context and local opportunities.

    Partnership-focused

    • We identify and support partnerships that create long-term value for both projects and communities.

    Innovation

    • We develop initiatives that think outside the box in order to maximise economic and social impact.

    Outcome-driven

    • We prioritise measurable outcomes - not just engagement activity.

    Adaptive

    • We work alongside projects as they evolve, supporting delivery through changing conditions.

    • Renewable energy developers

    • EPC and major contractors

    • First Nations organisations and businesses

    • Local governments and regional stakeholders

    • Community organisations and delivery partners

Our Team

Justin Coburn (OAM)

Founder and Principal

Justin brings over 25 years’ experience working at the intersection of community development, workforce strategy and First Nations participation and empowerment.

  • Justin specialises in supporting and building the capacity of renewable energy project developers to design and deliver innovative and practical social impact strategies.

    Justin has a strong track record of working alongside developers, contractors and community partners to deliver:

    • First Nations employment and participation outcomes

    • Workforce and training pathways linked to project delivery

    • Partnership models with First Nations organisations and regional stakeholders

    • Community-led initiatives, including community benefit funds that create long-term local value

    Justin is known for his ability to work across diverse stakeholders, to build community trust, resolve complex delivery challenges and get positive outcomes for both communities and project proponents.

    Justin was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2015 for service to communities, particularly Indigenous Peoples.

Petra McLoughlin

Social Procurement and Access Rights & CIS Delivery Specialist

Petra specialises in translating project commitments into delivery.

This entails ensuring that social procurement, First Nations participation and local content commitments are embedded into procurement, contractor structures and project delivery systems.

  • Petra brings over 25 years experience working in social procurement and workforce strategy across government, corporate, renewables and major infrastructure projects.

    Within Empower CBR, Petra leads work relating to:

    • Access Rights and CIS delivery and implementation

    • Commitment modelling across projects

    • Social procurement integration

    • Contractor engagement frameworks

    • Monitoring and reporting frameworks

Taryn Lane

Community Benefit and Shared Benefit Specialist

Taryn brings national leadership in community energy and benefit sharing.

Among her many achievements, Taryn co-founded RE-Alliance and the Coalition for Community Energy, and is currently a director on the Smart Energy Council.

  • Taryn has designed policy, programs and frameworks for government; authored over a dozen guides for industry around benefit sharing, community engagement and community-led approaches to the transition; and worked with many large-scale renewable developers, including Neoen, OSMI, CWP Renewables, WestWind and ACEN.

    Taryn is a 2017 Winston Churchill Trust Fellow and in 2021 was inducted into the Women’s Honour Roll of Victoria, Australia under the trailblazer category.

    Within Empower CBR, Taryn supports work relating to:

    • Community benefit fund design

    • Community ownership frameworks

    • Delivery of community-led energy initiatives

    Taryn’s specialty is in designing community benefit models that are practical, credible and capable of long-term impact.

Oana Cochrane

Training and Workforce Planning Specialist

Oana Cochrane is a project and stakeholder management professional with strong experience across renewables, particularly in developing impactful and inclusive training and employment programs.

  • Within Empower CBR, Oana supports work relating to:

    • Developing and delivering training and employment programs

    • Developing programs to increase the number of women working on renewable energy projects

    • Liaising with training providers to develop specialist training programs for renewables

    • Liaising with clients to support the delivery of employment outcomes